Got my Thoracic Xray results back
Posted , 4 users are following.
I'm not sure how many of you remember me saying i had my thoracic and my cervical spine xrayed due to pain in between my shoulder blades. My PC did these ones and i told my surgeon and they had me do a neck MRI. which i was confused by, because the shoulder blades is in the thoracic. well, they found nothing in my neck, but i just got back that i have scoliosis in my thoracic. Right when i read that, i instantly just broke down. My back is deteriorating pretty quickly.. i never had any of these issues with the middle of my back until after my spinal fusion. i have so many unanswered questions my head is going to blow up... going to pick up my results tomorrow and bringing them to my surgeon just to gt some answers. Ive been dealing with this back crap for almost 12 years now and it just issue after issue after issue. i'm going crazy!! im ready to throw in my towel and be done! 
this is so depressing....
0 likes, 19 replies
scott17436 Devilwearspaula
Posted
Knows how you feel. However, you just need to keep ploughing on. I've just had my 4th lumbar surgery and been told I also have arthritis in my Thorasic spine as well. As you say, the hits just keep on coming.
Just to make you laugh, I can actually feel the screws and rods that were put into my lumbar spine on the 4th Jan through my skin. Pretty weird!!
Chin up and keep going.
Devilwearspaula scott17436
Posted
ugh, i just had my 5th last june! my spinal fusion on l3-s1. i'm terrified that there's a possibility of more surgeries in my future.
omg really!!! you know what, now that i think of it i think i can too lol!!! i always think its swollen but i think its the screws! haha~! thank you so much for the laugh. definitely need it. Even though we are all going through issues, im glad i have everyone to talk to. <3
scott17436 Devilwearspaula
Posted
You gotta laugh. Nowt else for it. I've been a miserable sod too long. I'm now of the opinion that if I need a stick/crutch to get out and about more often, who cares. I'll just take it and get on with it.
What I find the most difficult is coming from playing competitive sport for 35 years and teaching it for 21 to not being able to do both and having a disability due to said sport and job!
But if I let it eat away at me it'll just put me in a dark place I don't want to go! Too much else to look forward to.
Devilwearspaula scott17436
Posted
you're right! i have been keeping myself positive for the most part, i shouldn't get this bring me to a dark place.. i usually have a hard time coming out of the dark place..
i use my walker when i need it from my last surgery. but, chronic pain isn't a joke! i hope you feel better <3
scott17436 Devilwearspaula
Posted
jessica_78456 Devilwearspaula
Posted
Iam 40 am sure I've suffered since I was 15 with my back . Pain does grind u down and cause anxiety and depression. Do u take anything for your low mood have u seen a counsellor. Believe I me am waiting for op 2,my quality of life is pants . My kids and husband keep me going. Many a day I don't want to and can't get get out of bed. I know it's no consultation but there Is always some one worse of than are selfs. Hold tight keep going and keep looking for the right help it is out there .
Devilwearspaula jessica_78456
Posted
i have been on medications for depression, bipolar and anxiety. i haven't been on them in about three years. i got pregnant and they took me off and then after i had my son she left. so no more therapist. I'll probably go to one anyway because i like having someone to talk to.
I'm so sorry you have been dealing with this for a while.
i hope you feel better <3 <3
michael54457 Devilwearspaula
Posted
Sorry to hear of your ordeal, wish I could help you.
I have had my own issues over the past two years, had cancer in T5, which broke down and comressed the spinal chord. Had spinal fusion from T2 - T7 followed by 6 months of chemo.
Was classed as paraplegic, could not feel anything from the waist down and could not even wiggle my toes.
That was March 2015 when I had the op and now I am walking 4 km a day without using the walking stick and up to 7 km a day when using it.
The whole time, during the seven months I was in hospital, and the 14 months since I was released, I have suffered terrible back pain and severe pins and needles and numbness in my feet.
Have been taking Pregabalin for nerve pain and Baclofen for muscle spasms but they don't work so good, and I refuse to increase the dosage, if anything I want to get off the prescription meds.
I am telling you this story because I want you to know there are a lot of us out there going through bad times just as you are, and we are the best people to help you through this.
Most of the doctors you talk to have never felt pain like we have.
Please don't talk about throwing in the towel, if all of us did that there would be nobody left to post on this forum !
Be strong and good luck !
Michael
scott17436 michael54457
Posted
You're a inspiration Michael. Keep the positivity going. Well done.
Devilwearspaula michael54457
Posted
you are an inspiration! I agree with what scott17436 said! I hope you feel better<3
Carolineq8 Devilwearspaula
Posted
Ah we've all been there, I feel for you so much, I had lumber fussion 14 years ago now and never been back to work since (personal trainer), I had thoracic pain from the onset and took 7 years before it was investigated then a furthe 3 before anyone would say what it was, it turned out to be an arachnoid cyst and it's compressing my spinal cord, I also have cervical lordosis, osteophytes( bone spurs on all levels) and degeneration, I'm in chronic pain all over with muscle spasms and now I'm being tested for arthritis of the spine, lovely!! Not fun I know and I have a lot of down days, it's so cruel really,
hope your feeling better soon💞
jessica_78456 Carolineq8
Posted
Did you feel the operation benifitited you. Some say they wish they'd never had it done . But they may have deterated with out it any way .
michael54457 jessica_78456
Posted
You hear that question asked a lot, do you feel the operation was for the better, and do you sometimes wish you didn't have it.
For some of us there was no choice. In my case the pain would have killed me if they didn't take the pressing of the bone off my sc and it probably would have been damaged beyond repair if not severed, meaning permanently paralyzed from waist down.I am not a religious sort of person but I remember once saying to "someone" up there that I would accept any pain that was given to me, as long as I got out of the wheelchair one day and was able to walk again.
So I got my legs back and have to shut up and put up with the pain.
I rarely mention my pain to my wife as she would stress out if she knew what it was like.
From what I see and hear there are a lot of poor people out there worse off than me so I should consider myself lucky.
Have not really used the wheelchair for the last three months I have been back in Thailand, except the first time we wnt to a really big shopping center, was not sure if I could handle being on my feet that long and walking so far. Ended up pushing the chair around and using it like a walker, only used it as a chair once when we had to wait for 20 minutes to have some gifts wrapped.
I don't take it any more, just use the stick.
Best wishes to everyone with their own personal battles.
jessica_78456 michael54457
Posted
Same here I don't have a choice. Pain will take my sanity as it had my mobility and quality of life.
Devilwearspaula Carolineq8
Posted
thank you! i hope you are feeling better <3
Devilwearspaula michael54457
Posted
same here! i had no choice as well. it was either i couldn't ever leave my bed due to the pain or have surgery
it took me 30 minutes to get up from a chair. some surgeries did last longer than others though. i do feel like i'm in little better place now though.
michael54457 Devilwearspaula
Posted
It's amazing how different everyones' recovery is, no two cases are ever alike.
It has been near two years since my op and sometimes I feel like I am no better than I was when I was still in hospital (for 7 months) but when I think about it I am better off these days, I do have times when I am relatively pain free and I can do things now that I could only dream of when the nurses were referring to me as "Michael, the paraplegic".
Sometimes you have to think hard and remember what it was like back then, to appreciate what you have now.
Devilwearspaula michael54457
Posted
it is crazy how everyones stories are different! i do feel like i am muuuuch better from before all of my surgeries. but after having the spinal fusion i can tell there are things i can't do or its harder to do. The pain level is different. some days i dont even have pain, which is amazing!!!! my son always keeps a smile on my face. He's what keeps me going!!
michael54457 Devilwearspaula
Posted
My son was 18 months old when I went into hospital for surgery and if it wasn't for him and his Mother I probably would not have recovered the way I did.
I have just spent the last three months with them in northern Thailand making up for lost time. We built a house here nearly two years ago and I had hardly seen it, except for two one month visits. We are building a tree house today and he is very excited, but he does not realize how excited his Dad is to be able to be doing it.